Artemis
by Kasamari
Summary: She is the Moon. She is the Hunt.


Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians

The frozen night air swirled around him. The hair on his arms and the back of his neck were standing frigidly as the wind blew gently over his skin. He lifted a handful of snow and placed it into his mouth to hide his warm, fogging breath. His eyes, which had only seen twelve years in the world, were wide and alert in the blackness of the near dawning hour. They were trained unblinkingly on his prey: A solitary stag standing quietly in the snow, brushing back the white powder to nibble on the grass hidden beneath. The sheer deafening silence of the night filled his ears as he watched the peaceful sight. This was one of the reasons he so enjoyed hunting at this hour. Everything, all of the world, seemed at peace. He could feel everything breathe and hear every life. It gave him such an intimate connection with the world. But there was also another reason.

The most beautiful gem in all of the celestial heavens looked down upon him at this hour. The moon. All of his life he could remember being completely enthralled by its beauty. Maybe that was his reason for his desire to hunt. The goddess of the moon was the goddess of the hunt as well after all.

He drew an arrow from its place on his back and readied his bow. His eye traced the arrow's path from the bow to its target. The stag lifted its head and stared in his direction, but he was well hidden among the growth of the forest. The stag glanced around for another moment, then continued its grazing. He pulled the string of his bow back to his ear. It would be the perfect shot. He took in a breath and held it to steady the arrow's release. That was when he saw her.

She sat just inside his field of vision. If it had not been but for the grace of the moon's light upon her hair auburn hair, he might not have ever seen her at all. No, not _might_ not. _Would_ not. For all he knew, she had been there the whole time, perfectly still. What was a young girl doing out during this hour? When she rose her bow he had his answer. But where had the bow come from? A pulling sensation shocked his arm as he realized that he still had his arrow aimed at the stag. With as much care and silence as he could manage, he relaxed his arm and continued to watch as the girl took aim.

He had thought that his own shot would be perfect, but he felt as though he were a mere babe lifting a bow for the first time as he watched her. She was a still as the night itself, not making a single movement that his eyes could detect. He could not feel her as he felt the rest of the world around them. Had his eyes not been locked directly onto the young girl's face, he would not have believed that she was even there. Such a sweet face with a look of utmost seriousness upon it. He was mesmerized by her presence. When she released her arrow, it flew silently through the air and pierced its target. The stag did not make a sound, save for its weight falling against the cool, soft blanket of snow beneath it.

As she rose from her place among the trees, his eyes continued to follow her. She was only a child like him, but her practice with the bow was flawless. Her auburn hair was pulled back away from her face with eyes as pale as the moon. The color of her dress matched that of the snow, but somehow shimmered in the moonlight. No, it did not shimmer. It was as though the moonlight danced within it. She knelt down beside her prize and gracefully stroked its fur and bowed her head as she did so.

He did not know how long she knelt, nor when he had risen, but he found himself drawn towards her. Before he had even realized that he had stepped into the clearing, her eyes turned on him. While she stared into his eyes he felt as though she was looking into his very soul. Something about her was beyond him. Far beyond him. When she stood, even though he stood taller than her by nearly a full head, he could feel her looking down upon him.

"I am Artemis." Her voice was just as mystifying as she was, and it played in his ears like a song long forgotten. She was the Hunter. She was the Moon. She was the goddess Artemis. His heart nearly stopped as he realized that she was the embodiment of everything that he knew and loved in this world. She raised her hand before him and spoke once more. "No mortal may witness my hunt."

He bowed his head before her and sank to his knees. He pulled his quiver of arrows from his back and laid them on the snow in front of him along with his bow. Though he did not look up, he could still feel the eyes of Artemis upon him, and he waited.

Nothing. Nothing happened. Slowly, he rose his gaze to find her still standing over him.

"You are not going to run?" she asked. "You are not going to beg for your life?"

He did not speak. He only stared into her eyes and tried to fathom their depth. Everything about her captivated his senses. It was only when her brow furrowed that he realized she was expecting him to answer.

"My lady," he said. "I could live to be one thousand years old and never witness anything as perfect as what I have just seen. Knowing that, I can face my end feeling fulfilled."

The goddess regarded him with a look that he could not discern the meaning of. Her eyes wavered back and forth between each of his own. He did not know what she was seeing, nor what she was thinking as she did so, but he found himself praying that what she saw did not disappoint her. Finally, she lowered her hand, turned her back to him, and returned to her prize.

"My lady?" he asked.

"Go," she commanded.

He was unable to do as she ordered. His legs felt weak and his arms were heavy. All he could do was stare at her in awe and admiration. She was everything. She was the Moon. She was the Hunt. She was all that he had ever loved. Though he knew he should, his body would not allow him to part from her. All that he could do was bow his head respectfully once more as she turned and faced him again. She did not speak. She did not bid him to speak. She did not even acknowledge him again. When he found the courage to raise his eyes, she and the stag were nowhere to be seen. There he sat, alone in the snow, with no proof that he had truly seen the goddess of the Hunt herself except for the impression in the snow of a stag he had not slain.

A/N: This might just be a one shot, but it might be continued too. Nothing is decided yet. Fun Fact: It is not widely known, but Artemis is also revered as a goddess of fertility and marriage in Grecian lore.


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